


No Dominion

by Medie



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Episode: s01e13 Le Morte D'Arthur, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-01-21
Updated: 2009-01-21
Packaged: 2017-10-31 05:19:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/340365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Medie/pseuds/Medie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The sacred bond of Isle and Lady was dealt a mortal wound and on that day began to die.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Dominion

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to [](http://noveltea.livejournal.com/profile)[**noveltea**](http://noveltea.livejournal.com/) and to [](http://azarsuerte.livejournal.com/profile)[**azarsuerte**](http://azarsuerte.livejournal.com/) and [](http://havocthecat.livejournal.com/profile)[**havocthecat**](http://havocthecat.livejournal.com/) for their help. Spoilers for 'Le Morte d'Arthur" of a sort.
> 
> This is, of course, OLD.

Everything is alive in its way.

Some things, however, are more than just alive. Some _are_ life. They are the physical incarnation of life itself and so it was with Avalon. The Isle radiated life in a way few other things can. It breathed it into the world, channeling power through its Lady. It is from that life that what we call magic drew its essence and so they that practice it are bound to laws higher than that of a king.

Because of those laws Avalon, and thus its Lady, cannot know death. Cannot cause what should never be. It cannot know hate and it cannot know murder.

So it was that when the Lady, Nimueh, brought both to its shores, she broke the covenant that existed between herself and the Isle. The sacred bond of Isle and Lady was dealt a mortal wound and on that day began to die. The great buildings of Avalon began to crumble and fall to ruin, but Nimueh did not notice.

Seeing only vengeance against Uther, she consoled herself with more blood and more death, innocents falling by her hand for the crime of being close to the King, and with each killing Avalon withdrew more.

Nimueh was no longer Lady, no longer the Isle's mistress. She merely marked time. Like Camelot awaited Arthur, Avalon awaited its new Lady.

When the time had passed and she was ready, Avalon came to know murder in truth. It was death which damned the Isle and its Lady, it was death which freed them. Merlin's arrival gaves the Isle has its chance and too late Nimueh realized her error.

The bitter rage in her heart prevented her from feeling Avalon withdraw. Not until she attempted to draw on a power that she no longer had did Nimueh truly comprehend.

In that last moment, with lightning barrelling down from the sky, the Isle grieved her loss.

Nimueh was right. There must always be a balance. Just as she was right, however, she was also very wrong. The balance could not forced. Like water seeking its level, it will right itself, and so it did now. To save a life, there must be a death, but no one had the power to choose that death or force it on someone. Such choices were, and always will be, the province of deity.

Deity and Avalon.

In the silence and rain Avalon took solace the joy of Merlin and his guardian. Sheer relief at being alive washing over it like a balm.

When the rain passed and the sun broke through the clouds, the Isle reached out. A name whispered on the wind, riding them into the house of Uther Pendragon, summoning the Lady to her home.

_...Morgana._


End file.
